Retractor systems may be used in a variety of different surgical procedures to provide an opening through which the doctor may access the surgical site. In spinal surgeries, for example, a retractor system may be used to provide the surgeon with access to the patient's spine. The opening created by the retractor system may, for example, enable the doctor to insert surgical instruments into the body or enable visualization of the surgical site using X-ray. One typical retractor system may include a plurality of blades coupled to a retractor frame. In use, the blades may be inserted into an incision and then retracted to displace tissue surrounding the incision down to the surgical site. To minimize trauma to the tissue, this tissue displacement should generally be refined and controlled. However, current retractor systems may not provide desired control of the distraction.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods and devices that can be used for retracting tissue to provide access to the surgical site.